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Cigar
01-11-2017, 02:20 PM
U.S. officials indicted six executives at German automaker Volkswagen on Wednesday in connection with company’s efforts to deliberately deceive U.S. regulators about the emissions standards of its diesel engine vehicles and sell those cars illegally to American drivers.

Five of the six executives are currently in Germany, and Attorney General Loretta Lynch said it was too soon to say how that will impact legal proceedings moving forward. Additional executives at the company are being investigated and could potentially face charges, she said.

The Justice Department officially handed down criminal and civil penalties for Volkswagen on Wednesday afternoon. Volkswagen has agreed to plead guilty to three criminal counts, a rare admission of wrongdoing for a major company, and pay $4.3 billion in fines.

“As you know we cannot put companies in jail, but we can hold their employees personally accountable and make companies pay hefty fines,” said FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/01/11/justice-department-volkswagen-to-plead-guilty-to-three-criminal-counts-in-emissions-scandal/?pushid=breaking-news_1484162013&tid=notifi_push_breaking-news&utm_term=.21cabdec1237


Good, they are accountable

waltky
01-28-2017, 02:56 AM
What did he know and when did he know it?...
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Ex-Volkswagen CEO 'knew about emissions cheating earlier than claimed'
Saturday 28th January, 2017 - German prosecutors have expanded their probe into Volkswagen's diesel car emissions scandal, claiming they have evidence former CEO Martin Winterkorn may have known of the cheating earlier than he claimed.


The 69-year-old stepped down in September 2015, days after news emerged in the US of Volkswagen's use of software which turned off emissions controls. He said at the time that he was not aware of any wrongdoing on his part. Winterkorn said before a parliamentary committee last week that he first heard the term "defeat device", the technical name for the illegal software, in September 2015 - even though US authorities had been pressing Volkswagen for months over emissions test discrepancies and the cheating had been going on for several years.


http://cdn-01.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/article35403254.ece/f0fed/AUTOCROP/h342/PANews%20BT_P-4696e1c6-f63f-4838-8fb1-c96ba44a97f3_I1.jpg
Martin Winterkorn, former CEO of the German car manufacturer Volkswagen

Prosecutors in Braunschweig said that based on investigations, Winterkorn "could have known of the manipulative software earlier than publicly asserted by him". They have increased the number of suspects in their investigation from 21 to 37 people, with 28 locations including offices and private homes searched in Germany this week. Winterkorn and others are now being investigated on allegations they committed fraud. In a June statement, prosecutors said Winterkorn was being investigated only over market manipulation for not making a timely disclosure of the possible financial consequences of the problem.

US prosecutors have separately charged seven former Volkswagen employees. The company has agreed to pay 4.3 billion dollars (£3.4 billion) in fines to settle criminal charges and reached a 15 billion dollar (£11.8 billion) civil settlement in the US with environmental authorities and car owners. The software enabled the car to detect when it was on the test stand and turn on emission controls, and then to turn them off during normal driving.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/exvolkswagen-ceo-knew-about-emissions-cheating-earlier-than-claimed-35403255.html

waltky
09-23-2017, 08:02 AM
VW diesel vehicles not welcome in Britain...
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Protesters storm cargo ship to keep VW diesel vehicles out of Britain
Sept. 21, 2017 -- Members of the environmental group Greenpeace on Thursday climbed aboard a cargo container carrying diesel-powered Volkswagens -- in an attempt to keep them out of Britain.


The protesters chained themselves to a tall, portable unloading dock and unfurled banners on the ship and a nearby pier opposing the use of diesel vehicles. The group posted photos and video of the protest online. The transport ship Elbe Highway, sailing under a Bahamian flag, docked in the port city of Kent with hundreds of Volkswagens -- many of which were diesel-powered. Police responded by trying to remove the protesters.

Volkswagen said the vehicles originated from an assembly plant in the German city of Emden. "The ship contains a variety of Volkswagen Group vehicles, including petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid models. The diesel vehicles, which are the subject of the protest, meet strict Euro-6 standards," the company said in a statement.


https://cdnph.upi.com/svc/sv/i/1961506009877/2017/1/15060100934223/Protesters-storm-cargo-ship-to-keep-VW-diesel-vehicles-out-of-Britain.jpg
A Greenpeace protester displays a "ditch diesel" sign while floating in the port of Kent, Britain, on Thursday.

Volkswagen is the subject of multiple investigations over an emissions scandal involving its fleet of diesel-powered vehicles -- which were programmed to dodge environmental standards. The fallout prompted increased public scrutiny of diesel as a fuel source. While emitting burning diesel fuel emits fewer greenhouse gasses than gasoline, scientists say the exhaust is more harmful to human health.

Greenpeace said on its website that the health concerns, combined with the heavy reliance on diesel in Britain, means Volkswagen should develop a plan to end its production of diesel-fueled vehicles. "It's been exactly two years since we found out VW had been cheating and lying to sell toxic diesel cars to families. Yet they still won't ditch diesel -- despite the fact diesel vehicles produces 80 percent of air pollution on U.K. streets. As the biggest carmaker in Europe they must immediately produce a plan to ditch diesel," the group said on its website.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2017/09/21/Protesters-storm-cargo-ship-to-keep-VW-diesel-vehicles-out-of-Britain/1961506009877/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=20

waltky
09-30-2017, 01:24 AM
VW loses another $3B in U.S. diesel scandal...
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VW announces loss of another $3B in U.S. diesel scandal
Sept. 29, 2017 -- Stock prices of Volkswagen fell sharply Friday after a surprise announcement of another $3 billion charge related to the company's massive U.S. diesel emissions scandal.


A report Friday from Volkswagen AG referred to the loss as "third quarter negative items" impacting the company's bottom line. The German automaker said the charge related to the widespread recall involving Volkswagen vehicles outfitted with "defeat devices" that allowed them to circumvent U.S. emissions laws. "The reason is an increase in provisions relating to the buyback/retrofit program for 2.01 TDI vehicles, which is part of the settlements in North America that is proving to be far more technically complex and time consuming," it said.


https://cdnph.upi.com/svc/sv/upi/3951506699690/2017/1/2d84805df4180a61d49c547eb1dfc4f2/VW-announces-loss-of-another-3B-in-US-diesel-scandal.jpg
A diesel-powered Volkswagen Beetle TDI. Volkswagen AG announced a surprise $3 billion charge to its third-quarter bottom line on Friday, continuing costs of its diesel emission scandal.

The total cost to the company from the scandal is now near $30 billion. The new charge comes 15 months after Volkswagen and U.S. regulators and law enforcement agencies agreed on a program by which the company agreed to buy back or repair about 50,000 Volkswagen and Audi models.

On Wednesday, police in Munich arrested former Volkswagen engineer Wolfgang Hatz in connection with the case. Hatz, the second person arrested in the scandal, led the company's engine development department at Audi, a Volkswagen subsidiary. Volkswagen shares fell four percent early Friday on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and finished with a 1.29 percent decline. Volkswagen made the announcement prior to the third quarter earnings report, scheduled to be released on Oct. 27.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2017/09/29/VW-announces-loss-of-another-3B-in-US-diesel-scandal/3951506699690/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=6